16 March 2008

Most non-Floridians don't really seem to have heard about Florida's psychic and spiritualist camp, Cassadaga, hidden away in the pine barrens of Central Florida, within about 50-60 miles of Orlando. You can read more about its history here.

Can I just whisper in your ear that I visited it for fun with my friend Frances in 1996? And that the reading I received from the psychic I consulted for 'fun' was weirdly accurate for the next three years? Among other things, she very specifically and clearly described----ignoring my unconcealed skepticism---that (1) my mother would have heart trouble in August, but recover; (2) that I would meet a guy with whom I'd initiate a close friendship---meaning exactly that, a friendship--- that would be very important in my life; (3) that my husband would take a new job in another town that had the word 'Gourmet' in it (the name of the business actually did); that I'd find myself short of money, but would come through it; and much, much else of which not an inkling existed at the time.

Furthermore, though I rebuffed her when she asked me if I was an artist----I wasn't, and treated the statement with incredulity----she said she saw me working with 'little multi-colored flowers.' A few weeks later I looked down at the needlepoint I was doing for a one-time-only special gift for my mom: yep, little multi-colored flowers everywhere. I didn't imagine what she told me; I have it all on tape. Yes, I know what you're thinking. Believe me: I know.

Frances, on the other hand, didn't have such good luck with hers (if you want to call it good luck). So I don't know. I don't 'believe,' but I can say that I met one person whose predictions turned out to be dead on. I haven't been back; I find I don't want to know what's next with that level of accuracy. It's unsettling and it's also unclear what you do about it once you realize it's happening. In fact, there is nothing you can do really, making foreknowledge an exercise in futility. To paraphrase a character in one of my favorite Ursula LeGuin novels, divination is useful only as an illustration of the uselessness of knowing the right answer to the wrong question.

Anyway, I remember the palms and pine trees, and I remember big, somewhat ramshackle houses of somber aspect heavily shaded by live oaks. Like many Central Florida towns, it had a certain bleakness in the perpendicular afternoon light, but as the light mellowed, took on that mysterious late afternoon radiance.

Cassadaga Signs by Niemster (Matthew Niemi) | To see his Flickr photostream, click here | Website: The Niemster | To see the largest version of this photograph available on Flickr, click here | I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license allowing for limited noncommercial use. Before saving or downloading it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. A link to the license is here.

'Eloise in Cassadaga' by Mlle Sarah (Sarah) | To see her Flickr photostream, click here | Website: Pretty Little Bits | To see the largest version of this photograph available on Flickr, click here
| I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in
compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license allowing for
limited noncommercial use. Before saving or downloading it, please
consult the terms of the applicable license. A link to the license is here.

Um, Sure... by Niemster(Matthew Niemi) To see his Flickr photostream, click here | Website: The Niemster | To see the largest version of this photograph available on Flickr, click here |I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in
compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license allowing for
limited noncommercial use. Before saving or downloading it, please
consult the terms of the applicable license. A link to the license is here.

'Cassadaga' by errrrrrrrrika| To see her Flickr photostream, click here | To see the largest version of this photograph available on Flickr, click hereI do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in
compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license allowing for
limited noncommercial use. Before saving or downloading it, please
consult the terms of the applicable license. A link to the license is here